


Alone Now

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Insecure Tony, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Avengers, Tony Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 12:53:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4961356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If anyone had bothered to ask him, Tony would have told them that the building collapsed on top of him wasn't the worst part of the situation.</p><p>But nobody asked him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone Now

The best thing about the dark was that it hid his scars rather well. Tony knew that was the only reason he ever got undressed was the dark. If it was not dark, he would remain covered, either in a nice suit, his work clothes, or his Iron Man suit. Always clothed. Except in the cover of darkness.

"Any day now, guys," said Tony into his earpiece.

"We're trying," said Natasha. "This isn't exactly easy."

"And this isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my evening but you know what, things happen," snapped Tony.

"We're hurrying, love," said Steve, his voice calm and steady. "Don't be mean."

"Tony, can you tell us what it's like down there?" asked Clint. "It might be faster for you to try and find a way out. We aren't making much progress up here."

Natasha slapped Clint over the head, glaring at him while Steve moved to reassure his boyfriend.

"What do you mean you aren't making progress?!" yelled Tony, the panic he had been fighting off with snide remarks closing in. "I'm in a damn cave and you aren't making progress?"

"Tony, sweetie, relax," said Steve. "You're not in a cave, you're just under a building. You're not back there. We're going to get you out. I promise."

Tony didn't answer. He knew that Steve meant what he said, but at the same time, No one had ever come after Tony before when he got into messes. When he was taken prisoner, he'd had to fight his own way out. This would be no different.

"Tony, you with us?" asked Clint.

"It's dark," said Tony, softly, almost to himself. "The space is about four feet tall and five wide. I could probably move some of these rocks and work my way up to you guys."

Tony got to his feet, biting back a yelp as he put pressure on his feet, both of which had been hurt during the explosion.

"Try it, Tony," said Natasha encouragingly. "We're working down, you work up, and we'll meet you in the middle."

The ground shifted around them and the Avengers could hear Tony scream as more rocks fell into his safe spot.

"Tony, are you alright?" demanded Steve.

"Ow," whimpered Tony. "Steve, make it stop."

The others looked at Steve, alarmed. Over the years, they had become like a family, living and working together, but Tony rarely relaxed enough to let them see him weak. He was still the only one not trained to fight, still human, and he didn't want them to see him as a burden no matter how they insisted that he wasn't. Steve was the only one allowed to see him vulnerable.

"I will, love," said Steve, fighting to keep his voice calm. "I need you to tell me where it hurts though. Can you do that for me?"

The others went back to shifting the rubble, knowing they were close if they had felt the rocks move when Tony tried to clear the way himself. They had to hurry, time was running short for their favorite billionaire.

"Feet," whimpered Tony over the line. "I wanna go home now."

"I know, sweetheart, I know. What else hurts?"

"Arm," said Tony after a pause, his voice weaker. "Hand has a cut. It's bleeding. Make it stop bleeding, Steve. Please."

It broke Steve's heart to hear his boyfriend in pain, begging him to make it better and unable to do anything about it.

"Keep him talking," whispered Natasha. "We're almost there."

"Tony, we're going to get you out soon and then I'll take you to get fixed up," promised Steve.

"No doctors," said Tony petulantly. "Hate doctors."

"What if I promise to stay with you?"

"What if we let Bruce fix you up?" offered Clint, throwing a large rock out of the way. "His flight back from India should be getting in soon. We can even have him meet you at the Tower."

"Clint gets a pony!" said Tony. "Clint has good ideas. Clint can stay."

Clint beamed. He viewed Tony as a brother, the two picked at each other but were also in cahoots when causing mischief. The archer planned on holding Tony to his pony promise.

"I've got a leg," reported Natasha, causing everyone's efforts to be redoubled.

Soon, they had Tony clear of the rubble. The billionaire curled into Steve's arms, hiding his face in his boyfriends neck, whimpering as each movement caused him pain. Steve, however, was just happy to have him back and whispered promises in the dark, dirty hair, while Clint flew them all back to the Tower.

"Don't let me be alone again," said Tony softly, rubbing his nose against the expanse of skin at Steve's neck, inhaling the scent that was entirely Steve, which meant Tony was safe and home.

"I'll always come for you," promised Steve and for the first time, Tony believed him.


End file.
